2025 Poker Showdown
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida
Event 1
$400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  4,265
Prize Pool:  $1,407,450
March 19-24, 2025

On Monday afternoon, after six days of play, Event #1 of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown came to an end in a six-way deal, with Michael Newman winning his 12th Seminole Hard Rock trophy, tying him for second on the career all-time list.

“I’m speechless,” said Newman. “I just love playing, and I’m so happy I was able to win.”

“I came in today second-to-last in chips,” Newman continued. “I only slept two hours, because we finished really late last night. It was a big field, the final table had some really good players, and I was just fortunate to come out on top.”

Newman was 21st in chips with 24 players remaining last night, 16th in chips with 17 remaining to start today, and sixth in chips when the nine-handed final table began.

“I always say to myself, ‘How many blinds do I have?'” said Newman. “I was just patient. I waited, and waited, and waited, and I picked my spots to make a move. I got caught bluffing one time, which is fine. It happens. Overall, I was really happy with how I played. And I’m extremely grateful that I was able to win another tournament.”

Newman picked his spots well to stay alive and maneuver his way to the final table. With eight players left he doubled thru Sean Astwood, getting it all in on the turn with a set of fours against Astwood’s pair of kings. Astwood was drawing dead on the river, and Newman doubled up. Astwood was down to three big blinds, and he was eliminated on the next hand.

They were stuck at seven players for the next hour, until Sean Phillippi raised under the gun, Miguel Martinez-Martinez called from UTG+1, and Newman called from the big blind with . The flop came , Phillippi bet, and Martinez-Martinez and Newman both called.

“I called, just to see if I got the club,” said Newman. “Club on the turn, and I jammed. Then the guy with the pocket tens called, and I won a massive pot.”

Newman turned his flush and moved all in. Phillippi folded, saying he had pocket aces (but not the ace of clubs), and Martinez-Martinez thought for a while before he called with . Once again, Newman had his opponent drawing dead on the turn, and Newman doubled up again.

Newman’s momentum continued, and when Bryce McVay was eliminated in seventh place, the final six players agreed to a deal with Newman receiving the most money and being declared the winner. As mentioned earlier, it’s the 12th trophy for Newman from Seminole Hard Rock.

Here are Newman’s 12 SHRP major series victories:

1.  2016 SHRPO:  $570 No-Limit Hold’em  –  $17,589
2.  2016 RRPO:  $360 Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $7,740
3.  2017 LHPO:  $570 Six-Max Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $7,473
4.  2017 RRPO:  $3,500 RRPO Championship  –  $374,240
5.  2019 LHPO:  $360 Ultimate Re-Entry  –  $183,525
6.  2021 SHRPO:  $400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em  –  $7,573
7.  2022 RRPO:  $400 Turbo No-Limit Hold’em  –  $7,136
8.  2022 RRPO:  $300 Black Chip Bounty  –  $6,437
9.  2023 Showdown: $400 Pot-Limit Omaha  –  $25,178
10.  2024 LHPO:  $200 Multi-Flight No-Limit Hold’em  –  $28,155
11.  2024 Showdown:  $1,100 Turbo Purple Chip Bounty  –  $16,200
12.  2025 Showdown:  $400 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em  –  $103,274

With 12 titles here at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, Newman is a fixture here for the big tournament series. And Newman loves playing here.

“Sometimes I can be a little bit not-so-nice at the table because I’m so competitive,” said Newman. “The pit bosses and Jason [Heidenthal] and everybody are always very nice to me. And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the hospitality from the Hard Rock.”

RESULTS:

* Indicates the results of a six-way deal.